The nation’s construction materials prices increased for the first time in four months, rising 0.9 percent in August, according to the Sept. 13 Producer Price Index report by the U.S. Labor Department. Year over year, construction materials prices are up 1 percent. Nonresidential construction materials prices were 1 percent higher for the month and are up 0.7 percent from August 2011.
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Further signaling a lackluster national economy, construction spending – which includes both nonresidential and residential building – decreased 0.9 percent in July, but is up 9.3 percent year over year, according to the Sept. 4 report by the U.S. Census Bureau.
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